Date of Award

August 2024

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Biology

First Advisor

Susan Ellis-Felege

Abstract

Annually, 365 million vertebrates are estimated killed in wildlife-vehicle collisions (WVC) in the US. Not only is this a threat to wildlife species, but it causes more than 25,000 human injuries, 200 human deaths, and over $10 billion in damage costs. North Dakota has a high rate of WVCs where more than 18 % of all collisions involve wildlife. Based on North Dakota Department of Transportation (NDDOT) crash data, we identify factors that affect the number of WVCs in North Dakota, and how these differ between different crash reporting methods. Additionally, we locate the WVC hotspots in North Dakota and examine the location changes over an 18-year time period. Based on the results, we provide NDDOT with suggestions on how to move forward with mitigation methods, future research, and WVC reporting requirements.

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